Don't Look Back
by SpykyTurtle318
Summary: Clover learns that she's thrown off the school's resident geek one too many times. By the time she's discovered how deeply she's fallen for him, she's forced to make a tough decision that will forever change her life and the lives of her friends.
1. Chapter 1: It All Began When

**Author's Note: I don't own any of this.**

 **I present to you, my readers, my first fanfic. It's a relatively short bit that I wrote mainly focusing Clover and Arnold. I put a good amount of thought, work, and time into this, so I would really appreciate any comments you have to offer. Please, if you read, utilize that nifty little box down there and send me a review! Thanks for reading this; enjoy!**

* * *

 **~Chapter 1~**

"So I said, 'Listen, pal, there's no way that this card is maxed out. Now, are you gonna accept my purchase or should I go across the street and buy this exact same top over there? I heard it's cheaper, but I came over here because I like the customer service. Rather, I used to.'" Feigning ill, the young blonde drooped her shoulders against her closed school locker with the back of her hand to her forehead.

"Wow, Clover, what did he say to that?" inquired one of her best friends, Sam. The green-eyed girl had already listened to her roommate's sob story yesterday, but she pretended to be interested anyway, if only for her friend's sake.

"Well—" Clover began, but she was abruptly cut off by their other best friend who was standing in the school hallway with them.

"He went really pale!" blurted a wide-eyed Alex. Having accompanied the blue-eyed teen on her shopping excursion the day before, she knew all too well the affects her friend emitted toward others. She, along with Clover, had entirely forgotten the previous recounting less than twenty hours ago. "Excused himself to the back, mumbling something about his manager. But he never returned."

"Thanks, Alex," Clover muttered.

"Oh, um. . . Sorry." As the youngest of the trio flashed her cute, irresistible blush, Sam and Clover dismissed the rude interruption.

"Well, I think it looks great, even if it was from a different store," commented Sam. "I'd love to see Mandy 'top' that."

Alex groaned at the redhead's sore pun. The attempted joke never even reached their third friend, who was lost in her own world. Just hearing that girl's name brought fire to her diamond blue eyes as she laughed spitefully. "Mandy? Please, she wouldn't know a nice top if it hit her on the hea—"

"Heeeeeeeeeelp!"

All the surrounding students paused to locate the girlish scream, but it was Clover who turned right into it.

"Ahhhh!" the shrill voice cried as its owner ran head-on into one of the most popular girls in the school. Clover crashed to the floor, her rear-end taking most of the brunt of the fall. However, the rest of the teenager's body was not spared all pain, especially the back of her head. She blinked a couple of times to make sure that she was still conscious. Then she blinked a few more to assess the situation. And a few more times as she sat smoldering her anger.

"Arnold!" the blue-eyed spy furiously exclaimed.

Just then, Beverly Hills High's purple-loving princess walked by, flanked closely by her two yes-women. She emitted a high-pitched squeal, laughing at her two fellow students plastered to the floor.

"Hey girls, I have a riddle for you! What do _Clo_ ver and the honor roll have in common?" she asked.

"What?"

"Arnold is always on top!"

Mandy and her posse continued to laugh as they nonchalantly walked away, Dominique congratulating her leader on such a fine, spur-of-the-moment joke. From the floor Clover steamed, glaring at the boy on top of her. Arnold blushed intensely. "Oops."

With strength that derived from both intensive spy training and heated adrenaline, the girl on the floor swiftly tossed the geek off of her and across the hallway. The audible clang of human flesh crashing against solid metal resounded throughout the hall, followed by a heavy "Oof!"

Jack, a burly linebacker for the school's football team, ran up to the scene. Doubled-over from exhaustion, he took a moment to regain his breath. Sam and Alex helped their girl friend up. Immediately Clover's hands flew to her head, fixing her coif-styled hair.

"Jack!" she yelled at the stocky, winded high school boy. "Next time you decide to chase Arnold, do it outside! You know he won't be able to breathe after twenty seconds, anyway!"

The boy she was shunning rapidly shrunk back. His pride slightly wounded, Jack mumbled an apology, turned around, and stalked away. As quickly as the loud, bustling scene had stopped, it resumed. While the attention was off of him for the moment, Arnold had been gradually crawling away, hoping he could sneak off without being noticed.

"No you don't!" Clover turned and roared at him. His weak plan having failed, the poor geek froze mid-crawl. When the girl snapped her fingers, he was immediately on his feet and an arm's length away from her, looking down in shame.

"Uh. . . Hi, Clover, girls," he smiled nervously. Sam and Alex returned his with friendly and somewhat pity-filled smiles of their own. The blonde's expression, however, showed no such compassion.

"Can you ever stop being such a _dork_ , Arnold?" she asked angrily. "What was he chasing you for _this time_?"

"Well, uh," the young man stammered, "I may have walked in on him in the—"

"Y'know what, never mind. But for once, could you please just. . . Be less. . . "

"Less what?"

"Less. . . Less you!" the spy shouted.

"What's wrong with me being me?" Arnold asked gently. His question was met with a not-so-gentle response.

"You're so dorky! Your style is tacky, you're too smart, you're uncoordinated, and everyone's always mad at you!"

Genuinely hurt, Arnold took a step back and breathed a heavy sigh. "You're right. Sorry, Clover, I'm sorry I hurt you. Sorry I'm me." With that the spies' fellow schoolmate turned around and dashed in the opposite direction.

"Clover!" Sam scolded the furious blonde.

"That wasn't especially nice," Alex mumbled.

"I don't care if it was nice or rude," Clover shrugged. "That kid has rubbed me the wrong way for the last time."

During the junior's tirade the hallway had cleared out as the day's final classes began. The spies totally disregarded the warning bell.

"Still, you should apologize," Sam said easily to her friend. "Nobody deserves that. Even Arnold."

Clover sighed in disgust. She knew that her friend was correct, but right now, she didn't care. Guilt was one of the last things that she wanted weighing on her mind today. "Jerr, I could really use a good WOOHPing right now," Clover grumbled.

Immediately, her locker door swung open, and a strong suction pulled the three girls simultaneously inside its hollow space, transporting them to the World Organization Of Human Protection's headquarters.


	2. Chapter 2: Her Toughest Mission Yet

**Author's Note: I don't own any of this.**

 **I present to you, my readers, my first fanfic. It's a relatively short bit that I wrote mainly focusing Clover and Arnold. I put a good amount of thought, work, and time into this, so I would really appreciate any comments you have to offer. Please, if you read, utilize that nifty little box down there and send me a review! Thanks for reading this; enjoy!**

* * *

 **~Chapter 2~**

"Clo-ver!" the youngest of the group exclaimed angrily at her friend for what she caused.

"Careful what you wish for!" Sam chimed in as the threesome dropped through the metal chute which led to their boss' office.

As per usual, they landed rather awkwardly and quite painfully. The redhead found solid ground first, falling stomach-down across Jerry's gold and red couch. Her body broke the descent of Alex, whose back lit up with immediate pain when it impacted against Sam's legs.

"Oof," both girls uttered semi-stifled cries of agony. The youngest spy, lying perpendicular to Sam, tossed her arms above her unsupported head in despair, allowing them to dangle over the ground. Simultaneously she repeated this same gesture with her feet, which were positioned over the back of the furniture.

With arms crossed in a display of typical teenage girl attitude, Clover plopped right on top of Sam. The girl on the bottom propped herself up on her elbows and shot a rude look at Clover, who remained oblivious to the discomfort she was causing. When the blonde refused to move, the green-eyed spy scowled to herself, grabbed a hold of the side of the couch, and yanked herself out from underneath Clover. Once the three girls were situated, their boss spoke.

"You called?"

Clover turned up her nose and closed her eyes in a proud manner. "Jerr, you'd better give us a mission right now or so help me. I need _something_ to do." Sam and Alex shot Jerry pleading looks, hoping that he would translate them correctly.

"I'm sorry, Clover, but there aren't any baddies out to take over the world today," the old man said with a wry smile.

"Escapees?"

"None."

"Tuesday Tate?"

"Present."

"Shirley?"

"Accounted for!"

"Marco Lumiere?"

"All three are still currently serving their due time in WOOHP Prison," their boss replied cheerfully. Noticing his employee's unhappy expression growing worse with every reject, he quickly added, "But! You can be sure that I will notify you girls the moment a crisis arrives." The older spy paused when the girl's frown didn't cease to exist. "Why do you need a mission? You should be enjoying your current time off!" Sam and Alex brightened at the truth in this statement. They turned toward their girl friend, checking to see if her expression had changed. It hadn't.

Clover breathed a heavy sigh. "This week has just been way too stressful. Three pop quizzes in the last two days, and a test in the worst subject ever tomorrow! I don't know _what_ my mom will do if I bring home another D. And today has been a total wreck."

When Jerry raised an eyebrow, Sam quickly stated, "Typical high school girl problems, Jerr." Alex shrugged.

"I see," the Briton replied slowly. "Unfortunately, Clover, I don't have any WOOHP assignments for you at this moment." He paused. "This doesn't have anything to do with a Mr. Arnold Jackson by chance, does it?" The younger spy glared at him in suspicion.

Alex went bug-eyed. "You know him?" Sam and Clover groaned.

"The young lad who tried to turn everyone into nerds and subsequently was captured by Geraldine? I've met him, albeit informally."

"Oh," came the reply.

"Yeah, it might," Clover let out after a brief moment of silence.

"And might it have anything to do with a certain run-in not five minutes ago? A certain conversation? Particularly, a certain blow-up?" Jerry raised a knowing, sly eyebrow.

The girls' mouths dropped to the floor.

"We have surveillance in many places," Jerry stated matter-of-factly.

"Invasion of privacy much?" Clover asked through her teeth.

"Only for your safety, I assure you," Jerry quickly explained, blushing when he caught girls' worried expressions.

More silence.

Sam turned to her friend. "Clover, you _were_ pretty harsh with him."

"Well, it's not _my_ fault if he's an idiot," Clover retorted.

"You sure do treat him like one," Alex berated. Clover glared at her besties on either side of her while Jerry remained distant and thoughtful.

"I believe I have the perfect mission available," he stated suddenly.

Clover jumped off her cushion in a flash and ran toward the old man. "Yes!" she yelped in glee. "What is it? Where are we going? Because I'd love to go to Scotland sometime." The four spies immediately imagined themselves playing bagpipes in kilts.

Jerry burst their thought bubbles. "To be easy on the WOOHP budget, you will stay here for this assignment."

"Okay," Clover sighed, her dream dashed. "But what's it about?"

"You're going to make peace with Arnold." Their employer winked.

The blonde girl's jaw dropped in disbelief. Jerry snapped his fingers, and out came G.L.A.D.I.S., who provided the spies with the Breathe Easy Go Anywhere Mask, Hairpick Lockpick, and Ultra-sensitive Earring Microphone Communicators.

Sam, Alex, and Jerry giggled throughout the entire gadget presentation, finding it hilarious that they were receiving gadgets for this mission.

Poor Clover still couldn't grasp the idea of this new "mission." "Jerry, this is a _cruel_ joke."

"Oh, it's no joke, I assure you," the man replied with a smug expression. "Sam, Alex, your assignment is to ensure that Clover fulfills her own. I believe it would be easiest to accomplish today, Clover?"

"It'll never be," she answered with obvious disdain.

"Well then, let's presume that today will be no less damaging! Off you go, girls."

"Screw youuuuuuu!" Clover yelled as they were WOOHPed back, Sam and Alex laughing.


	3. Chapter 3: Dazed and Confused

**Author's Note: I don't own any of this.**

 **I present to you, my readers, my first fanfic. It's a relatively short bit that I wrote mainly focusing Clover and Arnold. I put a good amount of thought, work, and time into this, so I would really appreciate any comments you have to offer. Please, if you read, utilize that nifty little box down there and send me a review! Thanks for reading this; enjoy!**

* * *

 **~Chapter 3~**

"Woaaaaah!"

The three teenage spies tumbled out of WOOHP into a bush. Immediately they discovered, much to their dismay, that this bush has prickles all over. Each girl silently cursed their horrible boss.

"There he is, Clover!" Alex encouraged. The boy was currently exiting the front door of the school and walking down the path, heading toward them.

"Nooooooo," she moaned in reply.

Sam gave her a cordial push, forcing her fellow spy out into the open. Clover glared back at her two "friends," who smiled and waved cheerfully.

'Some friends,' she thought to herself. Her hands immediately flew to her head, fixing her hair. As Arnold walked past, he stared straight ahead, intentionally avoiding her. She breathed a heavy sigh and then followed him at a safe distance for a short while. When Sam and Alex were no longer within an earshot, she smirked, knowing they would be straining to hear the conversation. Unfortunately, laughter erupted in Clover's ear, and she realized that they were utilizing their listening devices. 'Haha, very funny,' she said under her breath. Finally she ran up to Arnold. "Hey, Arnold! Wait up!"

The geek turned around upon hearing a girl calling out his name. "Oh, wait, it's you." He turned his back to her coldly and continued to walk along. With more girlish snickering ringing in her hear, Clover steamed.

"Arnold."

He whirled around again and stood face to face with his tormentor. . . Tormentor of both his daily life and his dreams. Today, this girl had hurt him more deeply than anyone had before, and yet. . . The heart wants what the heart wants, and his was beating faster. "Yes, Clover?" Arnold said airily.

"I, um. . . I. . . " she stammered. "I'm. . . sorry. I got really mad earlier and said some things that I never should've said. I'm sorry, Arnold; will you forgive me?"

He wavered for a few seconds, causing a million things to run through Clover's mind. "I suppose so," he managed at last.

The girl sighed, relieved. There. It was done. So why didn't she feel any better? There was a lengthy pause as each highschooler stared at the ground before them. The boy turned around again and began to walk on. She had to say something.

"Arnold. How about. . . how would you like to go see a movie tonight?" She listened to Sam and Alex gasp and chuckle, not believing what they were hearing.

"A movie? With me?" He was surprised.

"Yes, you."

"Will Sam and Alex be there also?"

"If you want."

He paused for consideration. Clover's heart skipped a beat. Was she, one of the most popular girls at Bev High, about to be rejected by one of the lowliest geeks at Bev High?

"I suppose that sounds enjoyable. How about I pick you three up at seven o' clock?

"Deal," came the reply.

* * *

Wistfully Clover stared into the bathroom mirror, vainly gazing at herself. It had taken her a full hour to decide what to wear tonight. Because it was only Arnold, she didn't feel the need to go to the Groove and actually spend money on new clothes; she had a closet-full and then some. The problem was that she didn't know how fancy she should dress. She decided on a light teal sheer dress that cut off at the knees, with a camisole underneath and a simple belt to complete the look. After applying makeup for another hour, she spent the next fifteen minutes deciding how to wear her hair. Was her regular coif too laid back? This was a date, right? He _was_ picking her up. The boy would probably insist on paying for her ticket, as well.

No, it wasn't a date. He was also picking up Sam and Alex.

But if they weren't going?

Darn them. If they weren't going too, then it would be an official date.

Wouldn't it?

'Why am I spending this much time on this?' she pondered. Clover became angry at herself. She'd been on fifty dates this _year_. 'This is only Arnold, after all.' She pulled her short golden hair up into a ponytail and looked at it with a scowl. The doorbell rang.

"Clover," called Alex, who was in her room behind a locked door. Sam was also nowhere to be seen. Clover sighed as she went to open the door.

"Hello, Clover," the boy at the door said smoothly. "You look. . . nice."

Clover blinked. Arnold wasn't geeky-looking today. He wore khakis, a navy sport coat, and a partially-buttoned light blue button down. She had never seen him look so. . . classy.

"Wow, Arnold," she said, feeling almost dizzy. This was unreal. "You look totally different."

"Thank you," he replied with a tinge of cold resentment. It was still awkward. Clover picked up that he was still unsure of what was going on, exactly. 'I actually hurt him,' she thought softly to herself. She shunned herself for being so rude earlier. Still, if the young man was insecure as usual, he didn't look it. In fact, Clover could feel the cool confidence radiating off of him. The feeling wasn't foreign to her, considering some of the boys she'd dated, but she'd never felt anything like this from geeky old Arnold. She had to admit: It was pretty sexy.

"Greetings, Samantha."

"Hi Arnold," Sam said as she walked up, startling a daydreaming Clover. "You look great. Clover, you too. I didn't know this was formal. . ." Sam was wearing white capris and a lime green top. Alex walked up in a t-shirt and jeans. Grungy! Clover's eyes widened with panic. Maybe she had overdressed.

"It isn't," she stated plainly. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go change real quic—"

"You can't," Arnold blurted quickly. Suspicious, the three spies threw him a curious look. "We're late for the movie," he half-lied.

"Yeah," Alex concurred dimly.

The girls locked up their villa, and all four piled into Arnold's car. The young man opened the passenger door and made a sweeping gesture with his arm toward Clover, who smiled at him and climbed in.

* * *

After the movie was over, Arnold dropped the spies off at their villa. The two in the backseat couldn't keep quiet about the film; Sam was arguing plot holes while Alex insisted that everything, especially the male protagonist, was just fine. Arnold and Clover partially listened to the feud, but for the most part, they kept quiet, lost in their own world.

When they arrived at the trio's home, Arnold escorted them to the front door. At Clover's hesitation to enter, Sam and Alex exchanged mischievous grins with her before reluctantly leaving the two alone outside. Well-mannered and content, Arnold remained on the porch with the intent to depart after seeing all three girls safely in.

"Arnold," the blonde began, "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"I need to study for that Chemistry test," he answered truthfully.

"So do I," Clover half-lied. "I'm sure Sam does as well. Alex is in Biology this year. . . their test isn't until next week, right?"

"I think so."

"Maybe. . . maybe we should study together?" she suggested.

Arnold scratched his head. "I think I will be going to the library tomorrow to check out a few books on the periodic table. Would you, Sam, and Alex like to join?"

Clover paused to process this. "Yes" was the immediate answer. However, she tried to play it cool. "I'll ask them. If they don't want to, maybe I'll just meet you there."

"Sounds good."

"See you there."

To Clover's disappointment, Sam and Alex happily agreed to the unofficial study date with Arnold. The four of them had a wonderful time, and as a team Arnold and Sam were actually able to teach Clover and Alex several math and science concepts that they were struggling with.

The next couple of weeks found these four highschoolers spending more and more time together-most shockingly, all of them stopped dating. Outside of spy missions and their house, the three girls weren't a trio anymore; now, they had added a new member to their group. The quartet frequented the movie theater, the Groove, the library, restaurants, parks, and other such places. However, deep down, Clover particularly enjoyed their hangouts when either Sam or Alex couldn't participate, although she would always act disappointed. On the rare occasion when both couldn't make it, Clover wouldn't just act it, she honestly wouldn't be happy. Even though part of her longed to be alone with Arnold, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

And so it was, until one Wednesday night when Arnold called to suggest that the foursome go see _Steel Man_. Alex had already volunteered at the local animal shelter for the night-shift. Playing her usual pouty mood, Clover pretended to be bummed, turning her focus on Sam.

"I really don't want to go see that one," the redhead stated carefully.

"Oh come on, Sammy, you know you want to," Clover pleaded. "What's not to like about the guy? I mean, could he be any more money? He's got the brains, he's majorly cute, and his car is the bomb."

"Action films really aren't my thing, Clover; I'm sorry."

Clover's head dropped in sorrow. "It's okay. Maybe Arnold and I will go tomorrow night when Alex is available."

"Why don't you guys just go tonight? You don't need Alex or me to go see a movie, you've got Arnold."

"But I don't want to go with _Arnold_ , I want to go with you guys!"

"Clover, you and I both know that's not true. You're just making us babysit you two, right?" At this, Clover blushed, and Sam smirked, knowing that she had hit the nail on the head.

"Weeeeeeell," Clover began, but tapered off mid-sentence.

Sam rested her arms on Clover's shoulders, stared into her friend's icy blue eyes, and smiled warmly. "Go on, Clover."

It took a few seconds for this to translate to Clover's expression. Slowly her embarrassed blush turned into a radiant smile. Sam winked and then walked away, leaving Clover alone in the living room with a decision in one hand and a cell phone in the other.

After that night, the change in the relationship between Clover and Arnold became all too evident to the rest of the world-especially to Clover's best friends, Sam and Alex. It was a drastic change, one that would be irreversible. The disappointment that Clover had once possessed when her friends _couldn't_ hang out with Arnold and her was replaced with disappointment when her friends _could_ join. Soon, the foursome was spending less and less time together and more time in pairs. The one-eighty turn left Sam and Alex dazed and confused for the next few months.


	4. Chapter 4: The Changing of the Guard

**Author's Note: I don't own any of this.**

 **Here's chapter 4! I have made a couple minor changes to chapters 1-3 involving formatting and some text (for continuity errors. Just so y'all know, I am writing this as they are in their Junior year of high school, which I believe is part of Season 4 and maybe some of Season 3.) Once again, put a good amount of thought, work, and time into this, so I would really appreciate any comments you have to offer. Please, if you read, utilize that nifty little box down there and send me a review! Thanks for reading this; enjoy!**

* * *

 **~Chapter 4~**

"So here's the plan," Sam whispered. "Alex, you need to get her full attention. Maybe you could use the Hologram Projecting Mood Ring to trick her into thinking that you're trapped. While Alex is distracting Geraldine, I'll make a run for the control panel to cut the power. Clover, you hide in the rafters, and when I cut the power, the robots should shut down, and all three of us will jump on her. Sound good?" Alex nodded an affirmative. "Clover, got it? Clover? Clover!"

Both spies' eyes bulged with pure shock when they watched a streak of red boldly bolt across the warehouse floor. Stunned, neither could move from their crouching position behind the wall of crates. But since the computerized robots showed no such emotion, they promptly opened fire. All around, laser beams and smoke shrouded the warehouse. As the sudden frenzy erupted, human laborers flew for cover. The speedy blur remained on-course and unsinged, the robots having not once hit their target. Luckily for them, the red streak was unconcerned with them. Instead, it headed straight for the Geraldine Husk, who was also taken aback by its swiftness. With one well-placed and well-practiced kick, Clover sent her flying high across the room. The villain smashed into the control panel behind, causing an array of sparks to fly. The destruction of the mainframe resulted in the immediate demise of the robots, which paused and then fell dramatically, their metal bodies clanking resoundingly against the concrete floor. As Geraldine rubbed a hand to her head, Clover launched the Coil Rope Hair Bun, immobilizing her.

A WOOHP helicopter landed outside the warehouse, unloading a dozen agents to clean up the mess and load Husk. Jerry disembarked and strode straight toward Clover, completely ignoring the presence of the other two spies.

"Well done, Clover," he commended, a certain pride evident on his face.

"All in a day's work, Jerr," she brushed off nonchalantly. "Now, if we're done here. . . "

"Of course," he ushered. "As always, we'll be in touch."

With a nod, Clover ignited her Jetpack Backpack and zoomed off toward Beverly Hills. Jerry gazed after her in a trance.

The other two teenagers were still crouched, their expressions unbelieving. For the next few moments, all they could do was stare at the now-bustling scene, blinking every so often. Finally, Sam and Alex managed to stand up. They dusted themselves off in dead air and then walked over to join their boss in his wistful thinking. Alex was the first to break the silence. "Okay, so. . . what the heck was that?"

"I'm not quite sure," the baffled Jerry answered. "But I think Clover has just completed your mission in record time."

"No kidding!" Alex said. "But. . . we didn't even do anything! Again!"

"I'm getting awfully sick of her recent 'teamwork,'" Sam commented with an air of contempt.

"I don't doubt it," the old man replied truthfully. "But a mission is a mission, and Clover just put this one in the books."

"Yeah, but. . . what now?" Alex asked, obviously distressed.

"Carry on," he said distantly.

* * *

The sun was setting on the beautiful Friday night as the two spies flew back to their villa in a WOOHP jet, Sam and Alex the respective captain and co-captain. With each spy remaining in her own thoughts, the atmosphere was tense. Though neither spoke, both were thinking the same thing: _What was up with Clover?_ Ever since that fateful day in the school hallway just over a month ago, she had never been quite the same. Before, she wouldn't do anything with Arnold; now, she wouldn't do anything without him. If they joined the planned activity, Clover and Arnold would completely ignore them. Without the exchange of words, the Clover's backburnered best friends reached a mutual agreement: Arnold needed to go. Not permanently, of course, but long enough for the three of them to get the girl-time that Sam and Alex so dearly missed.

The two girls leapt from the plane and parachuted to their backyard. All was silent and solemn until Alex dropped out of the sky and "accidentally" landed in their heart-shaped pool. Good-naturedly, she splashed a wave toward Sam, who unhooked her cables and jumped in after her "assailant." The two girls splashed around for a solid hour, relieving some of their pent-up stress. Soaked to the bone through their breathable green and yellow catsuits, the two teenagers toweled off before entering their dark and lifeless house. Not even bothering to flip the light switch, the two wearily crashed on the couch and waited for Clover to come home. When minutes turned to hours, sleep crept upon and captured them like they catch baddies.

Around eleven o' clock, the soft glow of a car's headlights flooded the driveway. Alex didn't stir from her peaceful slumber, but Sam sat up. Recognizing Clover's outline through the window, she yawned and stretched. So, the blonde finally decided to turn in after her glorious night on the town? But when she realized that the front door was being held open as Clover walked through, Sam rapidly resumed her resting position.

The elegant and stylish couple moved stealthily through the house, believing Sam and Alex to already be asleep. After they passed, Sam risked a peak. Beyond frustrated, the spy witnessed Clover pulling Arnold by his checkered tie into her spacious bedroom. Too curious, Sam followed quietly at a distance. She heard the door shut and the lock turn.

The redhead felt her heart drop in her chest. Deeply disappointed in her friend, she woke Alex and shared with her what had just transpired. After nearly an hour of hushed debate, the two finally came to an agreement. Sam whipped out her X-Powder to make the call.

"Jerr, we need to talk," she uttered.


	5. Chapter 5: Days of Our Lives

**Author's Note: I don't own any of this.**

 **Here's chapter 5! Short chapter. I'm sorry if it sounds too cheesy. . . but remember, Clover fell for Blaine pretty hard in Season 5. No, Arnold isn't using any kind of drugs or enhancing his personality to attract Clover; she genuinely loves him. :) Call it out of character, but this** _ **is**_ **a fanfic. :P Also, I know the quality may be dropping, and for that, I'm sorry. . . I'm trying to wrap this story up as quick as possible, because I won't have much time on my hands soon.**

 **Once again, I put a good amount of thought, work, and time into this, so I would really appreciate any comments you have to offer. Please, if you read, utilize that nifty little box down there and send me a review! Thanks for reading this; enjoy!**

 **EDIT: I went back and added to the ending of Chapter 3. There is a gap of several months between Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. So sorry for not clarifying this earlier! Also, I have slightly expanded the ending of this chapter.**

* * *

 **~Chapter 5~**

Bright sunlight seeped through the window curtains in Sam's room the next morning. She stretched, yawned, and slowly climbed out of bed. The teenage girl paused when she inhaled captivating smells omitting from the kitchen. She slipped into her house shoes and shuffled into the kitchen half-awake.

When she got there, she was shocked to find a strawberry-blonde boy wearing an apron and oven mitts standing behind their kitchen island, spatula in hand, flipping pancakes. She rubbed her eyes to see if she was dreaming. When she removed her hands, her schoolmate was still there, humming to himself while tending to his food. Slowly the memories of the past few hours flooded back to her. So, it hadn't been a nightmare. She quietly groaned to herself, causing Arnold to look up from his griddle.

"Hello, Samantha; pleasant day today, isn't it?" he asked cheerfully.

"Sure," she answered, though completely unsure. She folded her arms and leaned against the doorpost in an attempt to act casual. "Uh, Arnold, what is this?"

"Breakfast for my three favorite girls," he swooned, then continued his cheerful humming.

"Oh," came the unsteady reply.

A few pancake flips later, Alex walked in, also rubbing her weary eyes. Catching sight of Arnold, she flashed a glance at Sam, whose face shared the same resentful emotion. The short-haired brunette sighed softly and walked over the refrigerator and proceeded to pour herself a glass of milk. After that was accomplished, she, too, crossed her arms and used the appliance to support her weight. The two spies stared off in space as the silence continued, broken only by the crackling breakfast and the occasional quiet sipping of milk. Noting the reticence, Arnold looked up briefly, cleared his throat, and then resumed his griddling. Alex's gaze moved to the skillet.

"Wait a minute. . . Arnold, what are those brown specks in the pancakes?" she inquired.

"Chocolate chips," he stated. "They were in the pantry. I thought I might spruce up these plain old pancakes with a hint of chocolaty flavor. Nothing but the best for _my_ ladies." He smiled.

"Um! Oh!" Alex grunted in surprise, shock, and a bit of anger. Those were her chocolate chips that she had planned on using to bake chocolate chip cookies with tonight. She gazed at Arnold with a look of contempt, as if her staring would burn a hole through their visitor. Sam shifted her eyes between the two.

The incessant lull continued. However, when Clover sauntered in, the three snapped to life, straightening themselves.

"Chocolate chip pancakes? My favorite!" She gave Arnold a quick "good morning" peck on the cheek and put her elbows on the island countertop, leaning into the food and breathing in its potent scent. Her visage displaying delight, the girl looked like she was on cloud nine.

"But Clover, those aren't on your diet," Sam remarked, confused.

"Oh Sammy, come on; they look wonderful," retorted Clover. "And even better, Arnold made them for us." The young man brimmed with pride as he divided the flapjacks onto four plates.

"You never say anything about _my_ pancakes," the youngest spy uttered as they picked up their plates. But Clover didn't hear this and proceeded to eat the breakfast prepared by her admirer, even though it wasn't on her diet.

After the quartet ate, the Clover and Arnold announced that they were going out.

"Oh? Where to?" Sam inquired.

"We thought we might go skating at the park," answered Arnold.

"Skating?" Alex said brightly. "That sounds fun! Hang on, let Sam and me go change and then we can all—"

"Actually, Alex," Clover interrupted, "we were planning on going alone. Y'know, just the two of us?" She and Arnold did a side-hug and smiled at the girls.

"But. . . " the youngest spy stammered.

"It's okay," Sam told the couple. She compassionately wrapped her arm around her Hispanic friend's neck. "Alex and I can do something together while you two go skate. Maybe we'll go buy some more chocolate chips so Alex can make cookies tonight. What if we meet for lunch somewhere?"

"After these delicious pancakes, I don't think I'll be hungry enough," the blonde stated.

"Dinner?"

"Arnold made a reservation for dinner at that new restaurant in town."

"Let me guess, for you two?"

"Yup. Bye, girls!" The pair waved goodbye and headed out the door, leaving Sam and Alex alone and frustrated.

After being lost in deep thought for several minutes, Sam left and returned with her car keys. "Come on, Alex, I'll buy you some more chocolate chips." The two dejectedly disembarked.

* * *

"I wonder if Clover's back yet," commented Alex as Sam turned her car onto their street late that night. She and Sam had spent their Saturday at the grocery store, the Groove, their old mall, a local craft fair, and the movie theater. After a long day, both spies were anxious to go home and relax—and see their long-lost friend Clover. As they pulled into their beach home's driveway, both sighed when they saw Arnold's car parked there also.

When Sam and Alex walked in, the house was dark and seemingly desolate. They knocked softly on Clover's door, but the couple was already sound asleep after their busy day. Disgusted with their best friend's recent attitude, the girls turned around and stalked away.


	6. Chapter 6: The New Recruit

**Author's Note: I don't own any of this.**

 **Here's chapter 6! I know the quality may be dropping, and for that, I'm sorry. . . I'm trying to wrap this story up as quick as possible. Hoping to finish, but I may not be able to. If I can't, I'll probably hand over the reins to another author. However, here comes my final push.**

 **Once again, I put a good amount of thought, work, and time into this, so I would really appreciate any comments you have to offer. Please, if you read, utilize that nifty little box down there and send me a review! Thanks for reading this; enjoy!**

* * *

 **~Chapter 6~**

The wee hours of that morning found Arnold restless. Upon hearing peculiar noises, he propped himself up on his elbows and looked to his left, where a beautiful young blonde lay sleeping peacefully on her stomach.

"Clover, did you hear that?" he whispered.

The girl beside him in the large, spacious bed turned her head to face him and laid a hand on his bare chest. Now half-awake, she mumbled, "The only thing I hear is you."

The unusual sounds grew more frequent and acute, spiking Arnold's concern level. Anxiety creeping up on him, the teenager felt like a small child afraid of the monster under his bed. He was somewhat annoyed by his partner's lack of fear. But, at the same time, he was peeved with his own fear, believing it to be mere imagination. "Are you sure you hear nothing?"

Clover grunted and rolled on her side away from him. "Go to sleep, babe."

Reluctantly, Arnold shut his eyes and lay back in bed. In seemingly the next second, he opened his eyes once more to see two dark masked figures, one in the window and the other overlooking Clover's body with a knife in hand. Arnold screamed shrilly, waking Clover. Frantic yet determined, the young man immediately threw off the covers and assumed a weak fighting stance while standing over his lover. The one who was a step from Clover dropped his knife upon realizing that his target was awake and retreated out the window. Joining up in the spies' backyard, both fled from the scene in a panic.

One second behind, Clover jumped up out of bed and prepared for the non-existent battle. When she saw the man hop out the window, instead of giving chase like she had been trained to do, she turned to Arnold to ensure that he was untouched and in good health.

"Arnold! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he replied a bit shakily. "Confused, but fine."

That was enough information to reassure the spy. Wasting no time, she threw her arms around her boyfriend. His heart racing, Arnold drew her in in a tight embrace. Suddenly, the floor dropped out from underneath them. The incautious couple screamed as they descended down a long winding tunnel before dropping out onto a red and gold couch that was very familiar to Clover. However, this couch was much lumpier than she remembered.

"Hey!" it cried. The two looked down to see Sam and Alex currently being squished underneath them. The spies on the bottom promptly and heartily tossed the new arrivals onto the floor, slight smiles of satisfaction creeping upon their faces.

"Jerry!" the blonde exclaimed, jumping up and running to hug him. The old man's eyes widened at the gesture. "Boy am I glad to see you. I was just about to become spy soup. I would have had Arnold not been there to save me."

Jerry's gaze shifted from the girl hugging him tightly to the boy who was glancing around the sleek office in awe. Realizing his name had been called, he pulled himself up off the floor and stood up straight.

"It seems I have you to thank for saving one of my top agents," he said to Arnold.

A clueless, half-dazed Arnold shrugged. "Just protecting my girl," he stated.

"Even so, your protective tendency is very valuable. How would you, dear boy, like to become an agent for WOOHP?" Sam and Alex's jaws dropped wide open, remembering "Admiral Admirable" all too well. What was their boss thinking? Jerry ignored the girls, focusing on his hopefully new recruit. Meanwhile, Clover brightened, her eyes sparkling with euphoria. The more time she was able to spend with Arnold, the better.

"Me, a secret agent?" asked Arnold incredulously. He weighed this possibility in his mind. As if it _were_ a possibility? Could he, Arnold Jackson, the resident Beverly High School geek, become a spy? This had to be a dream.

"A spy for the World Organization Of Human Protection, yes."

"Wow! Clover, you're. . . a spy?" She nodded gleefully. "Sam, Alex, you girls, too?" Both nodded a much less enthusiastic affirmative.

"If you accept, you will be working with these three, at least for a while until I can find you a spot on another team," continued Jerry. "I assure you, theirs is one of the best. You'll learn a lot from them."

"Umm. . . Sure, I guess! What all do I have to do?"

* * *

Forty-eight hours jam-packed with intensive mental and physical exercise later, Arnold emerged from WOOHP headquarters an official spy in training. All five spies were beyond exhaustion and planned to spend their next hours sound asleep.

For the next few weeks, life continued in much the same manner as it had the past few months. Practically the only times Sam and Alex saw Clover was at school or on missions, which discontented them beyond words. But she was never alone, for Arnold was constantly by her side. When she wasn't with him, their friend rushed through life without ever saying even five consecutive words to her former friends. As hard as they tried, they couldn't even get her to talk to them in the women's restroom at school.

Because he was still an amateur, Arnold would join the three girls on their vigorous missions. Often unsure of himself, he committed error after error. Inexperienced and inadequate, the boy caused the super spies to compensate for his lack of skill and teamwork. The team's success rate dropped, but Clover, blinded by love, would not allow him to quit, leaving the trio of girls to virtually babysit the new recruit.


End file.
